“Let's make it easy to vote and let's make it hard to cheat. [Lee said on the Senate floor as he asked unanimous consent to pass the SAVE America Act.]
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Trump Demands the Senate Cancel Its August Recess Over the SAVE America Act, Splitting Republicans and Drawing a Rebuff From Thune
July 28, 2026
President Trump demanded in late July 2026 that the Senate stay in session through its scheduled August recess until it passes the SAVE America Act — his top legislative priority, which would ban mail-in ballots and require identification and proof of citizenship to vote — or else abolish the legislative filibuster. On July 26, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) publicly objected to any motion to recess until the bill passed, and Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Jim Banks (R-IN) and Katie Britt (R-AL) joined the push over the following days. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) responded coolly, noting the bill had already failed on the floor multiple times and asking supporters to show him a path to an outcome; he separately rebuffed Trump's calls to eliminate the filibuster, pointing out that Republicans hold only a 53-47 majority and lack the votes for either the bill or a rules change. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who supports the underlying bill, opposed canceling the recess, saying she did not see a route to 60 votes. Trump said he had not "even thought" about replacing Thune as leader but said Thune had "got to get his job done." The House had already begun its August recess.
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Statements Recorded
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19 Statements
“[Padilla objected to Lee's unanimous-consent request, saying the bill] creates chaos in the middle of an election that's already underway.
“Congress must still pass the SAVE America Act to secure future elections. We should've passed it months ago.
“It seems to me sometimes I'm the only one who can count to 50 in this town.
“If we want to win in November, if Republicans want to be given the majority again in the House and the Senate, then we need to do what we said we would do: secure America.
“I think the Senate should have stayed in. I think they should keep fighting to show the American people they're fighting for them. The Senate didn't do that.
“Tragically, the Save America vote on the voter ID component failed. Not a single Democrat joined us. We're going to have to keep fighting on that one. We're not done. We're just getting started.
“Here we are, after months and months of debating this bill. We should be debating how to bring costs down for working families across the country.
“We did our best, left no stone unturned. I wish the outcome had been different, both as to adjournment and as to these votes. But this fight's not over. We're just getting started.
“We had the discussion with the president, he agrees, don't take the vote tonight. Just work diligently through August and September to do an actually better budget reconciliation bill.
“We're not in a position right now where we have the wherewithal to pass [the SAVE America Act] right now. But we are going to vote on [the] measure with voter ID, which is about half of what the SAVE America Act is.
“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to "leave town" until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER.
“If somebody can show me how we get an outcome, how we get a result, how we get an answer to this, I’m all for it.
“Right now, our work is getting the SAVE America Act passed, the Russia-Iran Sanctions bill passed, confirming President Trump’s nominees.
“I don’t see how you get to 60 votes on it.
“The Senate needs to stay in session until we can get the SAVE America Act to the floor and passed.
“I’m all for it. We don’t need a recess. Let’s pass the SAVE America Act. It’s more important than taking a break.
“I stand with @basedmikelee. I will vote to stay in session unless we have passed the SAVE America Act.
“@LeaderJohnThune, I hereby object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August — at least until such time as the Senate has passed the SAVE America Act. Leaders must lead. And if they don’t, they’re not leaders.